Friday 15 May 2009 12.26 EDT
First published on Friday 15 May 2009 12.26 EDT

The UK's new Eurovision commentator Graham Norton this afternoon revealed that his much-loved predecessor Terry Wogan had given him one useful piece of advice on how to do the job: "Don't start drinking until the fifth song."

Norton, who makes his debut tomorrow, said he wished Wogan was still around to host the contest and entertain the nation. "I miss Terry. I wish Terry was still here. But someone had to do it and I showed up," Norton said this afternoon, after arriving in Moscow, which is holding the 2009 final.

He joked: "Terry telephoned me before I came to wish me well. The only advice he had was to avoid having a drink until the fifth song."

Norton brushed aside claims that this year's contest would be marred by political bloc voting by east European countries – a phenomenon that prompted Wogan to throw in the towel after 38 years as the UK's commentator. The 70-year-old Irish broadcaster, whose deadpan one-liners became a hallmark of Eurovision nights invariably ending in disappointment for Britain, has said he will watch tomorrow's show on TV at home, with a Bailey's and ice.

This year the voting system has been changed. Only half of each country's votes will come from mass telephone voting, with the other half from a reinstated jury. "The East Europeans just have a bigger (voting) bloc," Norton said. "We do it in the west as well. If Ireland had made it through to the final we would have voted for them," he told the Guardian. "It happens all over the world. I don't think we should get too het up about it."

Norton spoke following a dress rehearsal of tomorrow's Eurovision final, which is being held at Moscow's cavernous Olympiskiy stadium. The 21-year-old singer Jade Ewen representing the UK performs a song composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who accompanies her on the piano. She gave a calm, assured performance this afternoon, though technicians appeared to have problems assembling her set.

Norway are odds-on favourites to win, though the crowd reaction this afternoon also suggested strong backing for Ukraine, Greece, Azerbaijan, Iceland and France. Countries with few prospects this year appear to include Finland and Albania – whose set includes a large green dancing man and two diminutive white-faced mimes. The mimes spin on their heads. The Germans, meanwhile, have their own stripper.

Lloyd Webber today defended his high-risk decision to compose the UK's entry, together with the US's Diane Warren. It follows a series of dismal results for Britain at Eurovision, including joint bottom last year, and a string of finishes in the last five. Anything less than a top three finish for Lloyd Webber would appear to be a disappointment.

"I don't look at it as a footnote in my career. But obviously my day job is to write musicals," Lloyd Webber said today. He added: "I'm really excited to be here. Russian music has been a huge part of my life. I'm completely excited because I really do believe that Jade is one of the greatest talents I have had the privilege to work with. I think this is a song that is going to launch a huge international career."

Lloyd Webber said he decided to get involved in Eurovision after the BBC approached him to judge a talent show to find this year's UK Eurovision entry, won by Jade Ewen. Of her song, he said: "I felt it would be really great to do something that showed off Jade's voice, and kept it staging-wise very simple. There is an awful lot of staging (this year). I thought this is a song contest. I really wanted to represent Jade as the singer of a song that will hopefully be around for a bit."

Asked how he became involved, he said: "The BBC said: 'How about doing a talent show for Eurovision?' I thought to myself: 'That is a challenge.' But I also thought that we can't do any worse than last year."

The composer also paid tribute to the wealth of undiscovered talent out there – singling out Susan Boyle, whom he said had a "very, very good voice". He said Boyle would be performing one of his compositions "at some time". He declined to say which Eurovision song other than the UK entry was the best – though he said he liked Denmark and Iceland's.

Russia is hosting the event following last year's victory in Serbia by the mullet-haired Russian singer Dima Bilan. The 54th Eurovision contest takes place tomorrow against the backdrop of several colourful scandals. Georgia refused to take part after its song We Don't Want to Put In – a pun on the name of Russia's president-turned-prime minister – was deemed too political. It has now achieved cult status on club playlists in several European countries. The Georgians are holding their own festival instead.

Putin and three of the four hosts presenting tomorrow's show have apparently indicated they are planning to vote for the UK. This may or may not be an omen.

More seriously, gay activists including Peter Tatchell are planning to hold a march in central Moscow tomorrow (Saturday), in defiance of Moscow's mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Luzhkov – who has described gay rallies as "satanic" and gays and lesbians as "weapons of mass destruction" – has banned the parade. Previous gay rallies in 2006 and 2007 have ended in violence in Moscow, with protesters including Tatchell badly beaten and then arrested by Russian police.

Today Norton appeared to be unaware of tomorrow's gay rights rally. "I feel really bad but I don't know anything about this," he said. Lloyd Webber also expressed bafflement, saying he had no idea why the march had been banned. "It must be something to do with security. I really don't know."

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